NameCensus.

UK surname

Billman

An occupational surname for a medieval guard or watchman armed with a bill or halberd.

In the 1881 census there were 20 people recorded with the Billman surname, ranking it #30,738 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 100, ranked #31,123, down from #30,738 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Norfolk, South Norfolk and Breckland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Billman is 100 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 400.0%.

1881 census count

20

Ranked #30,738

Modern count

100

2016, ranked #31,123

Peak year

2016

100 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Billman had 20 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,738 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 100 in 2016, ranked #31,123.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 68 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Billman surname distribution map

The map shows where the Billman surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Billman surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Billman over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 29 #28,082
1861 historical 63 #25,901
1881 historical 20 #30,738
1891 historical 68 #28,300
1901 historical 66 #26,794
1911 historical 64 #26,435
1997 modern 91 #28,215
1998 modern 92 #28,680
1999 modern 94 #28,593
2000 modern 92 #28,832
2001 modern 87 #29,161
2002 modern 88 #29,534
2003 modern 88 #29,506
2004 modern 83 #30,352
2005 modern 89 #29,683
2006 modern 89 #30,027
2007 modern 90 #30,228
2008 modern 97 #29,527
2009 modern 98 #29,906
2010 modern 92 #31,366
2011 modern 97 #30,552
2012 modern 93 #31,409
2013 modern 88 #32,349
2014 modern 94 #31,909
2015 modern 93 #31,972
2016 modern 100 #31,123

Geography

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Where Billmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Norfolk, South Norfolk and Breckland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Norfolk 011 North Norfolk
2 South Norfolk 002 South Norfolk
3 North Norfolk 001 North Norfolk
4 North Norfolk 010 North Norfolk
5 Breckland 005 Breckland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Billman

These lists show first names that appear often with the Billman surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Billman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Billman, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Billman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Billman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Billman is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Billman is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Billman falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Billman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Billman, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Billman

The surname Billman has its origins in Germany and dates back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the German words "bille" meaning "axe" and "mann" meaning "man", denoting an occupation or trade as a woodcutter or lumberjack. The name was predominantly found in the forested regions of southern Germany, particularly in the areas around the Black Forest and the Bavarian Alps.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Billman can be found in the Württemberg Tax Rolls of 1488, where a Hans Billman is listed as a resident of the town of Calw. Another early reference is in the church records of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a Johannes Billman was recorded as a baptized child in 1512.

In the 16th century, the Billman surname began to spread beyond its traditional heartland as families migrated to other parts of Germany and neighboring regions. Notable individuals from this period include Peter Billman (c. 1520-1585), a master woodcarver from Ulm whose intricate works adorned several churches in the region.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Billman name continued to grow in prominence, with several families establishing themselves as respected craftsmen and entrepreneurs. Johann Billman (1642-1718) was a successful timber merchant in Nuremberg, while Christoph Billman (1701-1772) gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker in Augsburg.

As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, many Billmans left their rural roots and sought opportunities in the growing cities and manufacturing centers of Germany. One such individual was August Billman (1825-1901), a pioneer in the field of mechanical engineering who designed innovative machinery for the textile industry.

Throughout its history, the Billman surname has also found its way beyond the borders of Germany, carried by individuals who emigrated to other parts of Europe, the Americas, and beyond. Among the notable figures with this name were the American industrialist William Billman (1856-1934), who founded the Billman Foundry and Machine Company in Pennsylvania, and the British author and journalist Robert Billman (1914-1998), known for his chronicles of World War II.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Billman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Billman surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Norfolk leads with 14 Billmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.73x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 14 46.73x
Lancashire 3 1.30x
Cheshire 1 2.33x
Middlesex 1 0.51x
Nottinghamshire 1 3.81x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oxborough in Norfolk leads with 7 Billmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 35000.00x.

Place Total Index
Oxborough 7 35000.00x
Foulden 6 20000.00x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 54.50x
Basford 1 82.64x
Birkenhead 1 29.15x
Feltwell Feltwell Anchor 1 2000.00x
Manchester 1 9.62x
St Marylebone London 1 9.62x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Billman surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Elizabeth 2
Alice 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Eliza 1
Maria 1
Mary 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Billman surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Edward 2
William 2
Arthur 1
Bernard 1
Ernest 1
George 1
John 1
Samuel 1
Walter 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Billman households.

FAQ

Billman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Billman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 20 people were recorded with the Billman surname. That placed it at #30,738 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Billman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 100 in 2016. That gives Billman a modern rank of #31,123.

What does the Billman surname mean?

An occupational surname for a medieval guard or watchman armed with a bill or halberd.

What does the Billman map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Billman bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.